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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
The Florida Panthers, aka the Cardiac Cats, have made the Stanley Cup Final a series again with their dramatic Game 3 rally to cut the Vegas Golden Knights‘ lead to 2-1.
Are the Panthers destined to knot this series up? Or was this just a bump in the road to Stanley for the Knights?
Wager accordingly. Here’s what I like for Game 4, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night in Florida.
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Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Stanley Cup Final Game 4:
Vegas Golden Knights at Florida Panthers
Puck line: Panthers -1.5 (+215), Golden Knights +1.5 (-267)
Money line: Golden Knights (-105), Panthers (-115)
Total goals: 5.5 (Over -125/Under +105)
Favorite bets
Adin Hill under 29.5 saves (-115)
I hit this prop in Game 3 when the total was 30.5 saves. The action is slightly to the over on this wager in Game 4, and I can understand why; the Panthers unleashed 75 shot attempts in all situations in Game 3 and the Golden Knights blocked an absurd 31 shots in front of Hill, who made just 20 saves. The Panthers have been under 30 shots in five straight home games. The Golden Knights are averaging around 31 shots against per game on the road. I think an already solid Vegas defense tightens up even a bit more in Game 4. I like the under here again.
Matthew Tkachuk over 3.5 shots (+102)
Tkachuk has gone over the total in only seven of 19 playoff games, but he topped it in Game 2 against Vegas and had three shots on goal in Game 3 despite missing most of the first period and part of the second in the concussion protocol. He has mentioned trying to create more high-danger chances around Hill. Given the stakes and his series so far, I think he hits at least four shots on goal.
William Karlsson anytime goal scorer (+305)
Karlsson’s line with Reilly Smith and Michael Amadio played the least at 5-on-5 but ended up as the only Vegas trio to finish with a positive shot differential in Game 3. Perhaps that earns them a longer look. Karlsson, once the team’s leading goal scorer, has only one assist in the first three games. Some 5-on-5 matchup success plus power-play time has me interested in sprinkling something on him.
Golden Knights under 2.5 goals (+116)
In full disclosure, I lean Vegas in this game. The Golden Knights are 4-1 after losses and seemed absolutely unfazed about the way things went in Game 3, where one even-strength goal probably would’ve made this a 3-0 series lead for the Knights. But they didn’t score at 5-on-5. They got “goalied,” as Sergei Bobrovsky had his strongest game of the series. So consider this “Playoff Bob” insurance. If you believe the Panthers are going to even this thing up, it’s not going to be in an 8-7 game. (Now watch it be an 8-7 game. Hockey!)
Source: www.espn.com